Friday, January 21, 2011

Hal's Owners Writes In To LMT

Mr. and Mrs. Lamont comment on the new baseball stadium bar in today's editorial page.

This letter is in response to the article that appeared on the front page of the sports section on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2011, titled "New stadium on track." Specifically, I would like to address the sentence that states the following: "The left field sports bar and restaurant will be open and operating year-round as it strives to enhance the sports bar experience." As the owners of Hal's Landing, we cannot believe that property taxes that we and all other restuarant/bar owners pay are being used to build a facility to compete with all of us. When the concept of a baseball stadium was put forth, we - and I believe everyone else - believed that it would be a vehicle to allow the people of Laredo (who also support the city via taxes) to enjoy a game they love in a modern facility.

I certainly didn't believe, nor do I believe, anyone was made aware that the end result of the $18 million expenditure would be to facilitate an enterprise against which we will have to compete that will not have to pay its share of the very taxes with which the facility was built. To me, this is inherently wrong and, in the long term, will not "enhance" the sports bar experience, but will have the opposite effect: a city-supported competition that will negatively impact other local facilites. I believe that the baseball stadium is a good idea, but it needs to be a level playing field that should not include "subsidized" competition against the city's taxpayer, burdened Laredoans.

Signed,Tom and Marianne Lamont

The writers make a good point. However I wouldn't worry to much about the competition since everything the city touches turns to crap. Love ya', city hall, love ya'.I personally can't wait for the first brawl to take place at the bar and the lawsuits that will follow.

LaSanbe

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